Like most Jamaicans, we at this newspaper are scratching our heads in response to the latest controversy involving the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

For those who were not paying attention, new president of the PNP Mr Mark Golding nominated Mr Peter Bunting to become the eighth Opposition senator in the Jamaican Parliament.

Mr Golding, like the great majority of the rest of us, clearly believed a vacancy existed. This followed Mr Norman Horne’s statement in October that, rather than take up a Senate seat offered to him by outgoing PNP President Dr Peter Phillips, he would be giving a new president a free hand to choose.

Readers may recall that on November 7 Mr Golding defeated Ms Lisa Hanna in an internal delegates’ poll to take over leadership of the PNP following Dr Phillips’s resignation as party president.

The swearing-in of Mr Bunting should have taken place last Friday. It didn’t happen, because Mr Horne has not formally withdrawn from the Senate position. Therefore, we hear, there was no vacancy.

Puzzlingly, for many people, this is the case although Mr Horne was never sworn in and has not attended the Senate since the dawning of the new Parliament — post the September 3 General Election.

As it stands now, there seems to be an absence of legal consensus as to whether Mr Horne is, or is not, a senator. And, there are a variety of views as to what needs to be done by the PNP president and others, not least the governor general, to rectify the situation, should Mr Horne decline to formally say he does not want the Senate seat.

We note that up to Sunday afternoon there was no word from the PNP or its leader as to what’s to be done. We are left to assume that consultations are ongoing with legal experts, etc.

Intriguing questions, as yet unanswered, include: Did Mr Golding and the PNP not know that Mr Horne had not formally carried through on his promised intention — aired in the media — to decline the Senate seat? If so, how come?

Given his background as lawyer, successful businessman, and former minister of justice, Mr Golding and his team should have been checking and double checking.

And what of King’s House? Shouldn’t the governor general’s office have informed all concerned that there is no Senate vacancy?

What of Mr Horne? In a news release, he denies reports that his failure to formally decline the Senate position was because of large sums owed to him by his party. Instead, he tells us of his disappointment at what he sees as disrespectful treatment.

Says Mr Horne: “For full disclosure, I have had reason to pause. I am particularly disheartened by the conduct of the party leader and his inner circle — which is not at all aligned with his pledge of unity…”

But what has that to do with the Opposition Senate seat?

If Mr Horne has a peeve with the PNP he should deal with the party at that level. He should not be holding to ransom a constitutional institution, which the Senate is.

People in positions of responsibility need to act responsibly.

It seems to us that all concerned must move swiftly this week to put this entire embarrassing episode to rest.